I apologize if there is already an active thread on this topic. I just read it, and slammed up a post on Facebook, then came directly here to post it in this community. Regardless of your political leanings, please read the article, follow the links, verify to your hearts content. BUT READ THE STORY.

I'm almost physically ill, and have been wiping away tears since I finished the article. For whatever the reason, this specific story has brought home to me in a way that nothing else quite has, just how ... wrong, and misguided, and horrifying the racism in the right wing really is. I'm so far past disgusted I'm not even sure what I actually feel.

Well, except ashamed. Ashamed of my race, ashamed of my country, ashamed of myself for ever being so naive as to think these people could be reasoned with.

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"Tell people that there's an invisible man in the sky that created the entire universe and the majority believe you. Tell them the paint is wet, and they have to touch it to be sure." ~George Carlin

I would potentially disagree if I had the time and inclination to engage the discussion properly.

Lets just say that I disagree with pointing out a hand full of examples and using the most extreme cases to paint the entire group, which happens to share maybe only one or two other things in common with these freaks, as a whole.

You see that is the thing. Republicans can say anything bat sh*t crazy and it seems to be fine. Look at all the sh*t they have come up with in the last 10 days or so. And still they have almost half the country following behind them. I really don't understand what has happened to us or worse what is going to happen to us.

I would potentially disagree if I had the time and inclination to engage the discussion properly.

Lets just say that I disagree with pointing out a hand full of examples and using the most extreme cases to paint the entire group, which happens to share maybe only one or two other things in common with these freaks, as a whole.

There a segment of the republican party that seems to take pride in their racism. I find it disgusting. I wish the republicans that feel otherwise would speak the f*** up about it. In the absence of them being vocal, I, who claim no party affiliation, will gladly speak up instead.

No, I don't believe that "all republicans are evil/bad/ignorant/what-the-hell-ever", but this one is. Not because he's a republican, but because he's an ignorant, arrogant person, who has the power and influence to do great harm by virtual of his political position, regardless of party affiliation. I'd have posted the same story if he'd been a democrat because filth is filth.

One also has to take note of the remarkable consistency of these "extreme cases" that end up in public office. I would even go so far as to dispute the notion that these are in any way extreme as racism is quite prevalent in the south, which is why the birthism movement and de facto anti-black legislation such as voter suppression laws enjoy overwhelming Republican support. The only difference between this guy and your typical racist is that he isn't mincing his words or hiding behind code phrases such as affirmative action, political correctness, and reverse racism. It would seem to me that the only grounds for considering him "extreme" would be that he isn't pulling his punches.

I wish these republicans would stand up against fucked up individuals like him. I would like to see the moderate republicans get up and stand up against the radicals and disassociate themselves from the crazy rather than facilitate it. But to be honest, it's the radicals who make the loudest bang and may not represent all. Regardless, nobody with those attitudes should have political power - yes it's allowed because it's democratic, but I don't think people should vote them in and with current power? They should make votes of no-confidence, use the system to keep the crazies out of power. Bring out the more reasonable republicans, bring them to the floor. Unfortunately, humans are gullible creatures and can be sold a whole line of bullshit to convince them. But there's 3 types of people in this world you can't trust, politicians, journalists and preachers, sure there's honest people in all 3, but in reality they have their own agendas and will tell you whatever you want to hear so you buy into their bullshit.

The saddening thing is, this guy isn't the only person in the world with those kinds of opinions and there are those who have acted on such things. I wouldn't worried being ashamed about your country or race because there are many who'd stand beside you with the same bad taste in their mouth after reading that.

However, everytime I read something like this, I lose a bit of faith in humanity as it seems we managed to push and push harder and harder to progress ourselves as a species in a positive way, but there's this resistence holding us back and at times I do wish I was another species and on a different planet separate from all the fucked up things about humanity, but you can't escape it. For me, the issue was not so much the racism, but how the intellectual dishonest and lack of compassion in the lives of fellow human beings. I'm not so much worried about the "black people should be grateful", it's horribly offensive, but what frightens me is his bit about the immigrants. Combined with the racism, I'd feel very worried if he were ever to act on his convictions or if his party were ever to take him seriously enough to do it, then they wouldn't be the first and probably won't be last.

So you kinda wish humanity would just fucking evolve.

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“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet” - Miyamoto MusashiWarning: I occassionally forget to proofread my posts to spot typos or to spot poor editing.

I would potentially disagree if I had the time and inclination to engage the discussion properly.

Lets just say that I disagree with pointing out a hand full of examples and using the most extreme cases to paint the entire group, which happens to share maybe only one or two other things in common with these freaks, as a whole.

I would potentially disagree if I had the time and inclination to engage the discussion properly.

Lets just say that I disagree with pointing out a hand full of examples and using the most extreme cases to paint the entire group, which happens to share maybe only one or two other things in common with these freaks, as a whole.

I don't know, sounds like typical right sided talk. I mean he takes no responsibility for slavery, but bends the rational for it to justify a positive defending the behavior. It is a valid point, but kinda of a sick way to think. You know, like suffering to achieve a greater good. I'm sensing a pattern.

I would potentially disagree if I had the time and inclination to engage the discussion properly.

Lets just say that I disagree with pointing out a hand full of examples and using the most extreme cases to paint the entire group, which happens to share maybe only one or two other things in common with these freaks, as a whole.

Do you think Condoleezza Rice is a racist? How about Colin Powell or Herman Cain? Allen West Maybe?

How about Marco Rubio or Bobby Jindal? Are they "racist" because they are Republicans or are they Republicans because they are racist?

No.

However, Condy, Powell and Herman are black people who are still being manipulate by white people, but suffering from the rewards of success, or receiving the benefits from the selected (1%) for being black?. Wow, now you are making me act racist, nice trick evil republican.

Funny, I don't think the slave catchers who brought Africans to this country thought they would ever get citizenship. I don't think the people who kept them as chattel wanted them to get citizenship, either. And the people who unconstitutionally denied them their right to vote didn't care that they were citizens.

Saying that black people should be grateful for slavery because it got them citizenship is comparable to saying that Jews should be thankful for the Holocaust because it got them a country of their own.

It’s not often I come to support the right in the shape of Mr Blackwell but it is as wrong to say that all Republicans are racists as it is to say that all Blacks are drug-dealers. It is a generalisation too far.

On the Arkansas senator, had he said, “Blacks have eventually been advantaged by the suffering of their forebears.” Would it be true and if so, acceptable?

It is clear that the per capita income and average living standard of the American (both black and white) is vastly higher than any country from which slaves were taken. Corruption, education and the infrastructure levels are all superior - for whatever reason.

The part that disturbed me was further down:

Quote

the real threat, he wrote, comes from immigrants, “legal and illegal,” who will eventually have to be rounded up and killed.“(T)he immigration issue, both legal and illegal… will lead to planned wars or extermination,” said Hubbard on page 9 of Letters to the Editor. “Although now this seems to be barbaric and uncivilized, it will at some point become as necessary as eating and breathing.”

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Nobody says “There are many things that we thought were natural processes, but now know that a god did them.”

There's other factors for why Africa is a downtrodden continent today besides slavery.

Take the kingdom of Axum (a civilized country in northeastern Africa, populated by black people), which existed from roughly 400 AD to 1000 AD. What would have happened had it not been cut off from Rome, its ally and primary trading partner, by the spread of Islam? Indeed, what if it could have helped spread civilization into the interior of the African continent?

Sure, it's a "might have been". But it's at least plausible that it could have made a difference towards civilization in Africa.

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Nullus In Verba, aka "Take nobody's word for it!" If you can't show it, then you don't know it.

On the Arkansas senator, had he said, “Blacks have eventually been advantaged by the suffering of their forebears.” Would it be true and if so, acceptable?

It is clear that the per capita income and average living standard of the American (both black and white) is vastly higher than any country from which slaves were taken. Corruption, education and the infrastructure levels are all superior - for whatever reason.

An excellent point that I think the Senator was trying to make, however lacking the verbal skills of Graybeard.

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The level of dumb they have to sell, is only made remotely possible by the level of flocking their sheep are willing to do in the name of rewards for no thought. quote: Kin Hell

"Faith is the enemy of evidence, for when we know the truth, no faith is required." Graybeard